Appendix: Grammar
for use with the English Test module
This appendix contains a brief overview of some grammatical distinctions used in the English Test module and Needy English Test module.
The subject is what is doing the action, and the object is what is receiving the action. e.g. In “I buy milk.” I is the subject and milk is the object.
| their: belonging to them; there: that place; they're: they are |
| your: belonging to you; you're: you are |
| I, he, she, we, they: used in subjects; me, him, her, us, them: used in objects |
| less: used with uncountable nouns; fewer: used with countable nouns |
| who: used in subjects; whom: used in objects |
| defiantly: rebelliously; definitely: without doubt |
| lead: the metal or the present tense; led: the past tense and past participle |
| cite: declare a quoted source; site: location; sight: a view or vision |
| When you don't lay something else down, you lie down. The past tense of lay is laid. Confusingly, the past tense of lie is lay! |
| Literally means word for word. If you had “literally died” watching a video, your family and friends would be crying at your funeral about now. |
| If you write “should of”, “could of”, “would of”, or “might of”, no educated gentleman will take you seriously. Remember, “I do” is to “I have done” as “I could do” is to “I could have done”. (Exceptions apply, but very very rarely!) |
| its: belonging to it; it's: it is |
| capital: main city in a territory, money you put up to borrow something, or THIS KIND OF LETTER; capitol: big building, usually in a capital |
| affect: usually a verb, but noun when it means “display of emotion”; effect: almost always a noun; impact: physical force |
| i.e.: short for Latin id est, or “that is”; e.g.: short for Latin exemplī grātiā, or “for example” |
| peak: summit; peek: sneak a look; pique: excite (usually interest) |
| allot: partition; a lot: very much; alot: (never correct) |
| lose: opposite of gain; loose: opposite of tight |
| than: (used to compare two things); then: at the time, or right after that |
| complement: when two parts complete each other; compliment: You look good today! |
| farther: physical distance; further: figurative distance |
| number: used for countable nouns; amount: used for uncountable nouns |